Wichita Mountains Elk Hunt

Every year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, holds two elk hunts on the 59,000 acre Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge; one in December and one in January.  This refuge is located in the Wichita Mountains of southwest Oklahoma, adjacent to the Ft. Sill military reservation. The hunts are limited quota hunts and the licenses are by drawing only.  Since 2002 these are once in a lifetime licenses. Once you draw either a cow or bull license, you are no longer eligible to apply for either license.

This year my buddy Mark finally drew his tag.  You get to put down up to three choices. His first choice was a Dec. bull tag; second choice was a Jan. bull tag and third choice was a December cow tag.  You guessed it; he drew a cow tag for the December hunt.  These are 2 1/2 day hunts that run from Tuesday morning through Thursday noon.  All hunters are required to check in on Monday morning and attend the mandatory orientation meeting and orientation ride with the U.S.F.W.S. officer or Okla. Wildlife Dept. officer who is in charge of the specific area that the hunter is assigned to. The hunters are taken out each morning before daylight and dropped off at a point of his or her choosing in their hunt area in tarp covered pickup trucks that seat ten people in the bed of the truck; five on each side. The hunters are then picked up each evening 30 minutes after sunset and are required to be back at the road by that time.

This year there were 30 bull tags and 70 cow tags issued for each hunt. There were 10 hunt areas with 10 hunters assigned to each area.  I believe there were about 95 out of 100 hunters that showed up for the December hunt.  Each hunter is allowed to bring "helpers" to help them get their elk out of the field if they are fortunate enough to fill their tag, but the helpers are NOT allowed to accompany the hunters on the hunt.  At this point let me say that this is a HUNT, not a "drive out and shoot one" outing.  This is a very rugged area with a lot of elevation change and mostly covered by rocks, boulders and scrub oak and cedar and this is a mostly hike, glass, spot and stalk hunt.  It is by no means a given that you will fill your tag.

After check in on Monday and after waiting for about 2 or 3 hours for Mark to get back from his orientation ride, we drove to Lawton, about 20 minutes away, where we stayed the nights with Mark's in-laws, Mike and Jonna.  Thanks to them we would have a great place to stay for the hunt.

On Tuesday morning we arrived at the hunter check station a little after 5 am.  The temperature was around 19 degrees and it was a beautiful morning unless you had to ride in the back of a pickup on bench seats over rough two track roads in the cold darkness. That would be Mark, not me! LOL  I sat in the warm pickup with a thermos of hot coffee because I was the lowly "helper" and it was my job to sit around and wait for Mark to let his wildlife officer know when he had an elk down.

Well, I waited around all morning alternately sitting in the pickup drinking coffee and wondering around the check station keeping an eye on the tote board where they were writing the names of the fortunate hunters that had filled their tags.  Finally, around 12:30 the U.S. wildlife employee running the hunt asked if there were any volunteers to go help a hunter pack out his elk. Being ready for some action, I volunteered.  After going back to the pickup and grabbing my pack frame three of us along with the hunter's dad loaded up in the back of the wildlife pickup and we drove to where the hunter, Jake, was waiting along side the road to guide us in to where he had a cow elk down.  We then hiked in around a half a mile and proceeded to field dress, skin and load up his elk on four pack frames.

 
Jake and his dad did most of the gutting and I did most of the skinning and then we took off the front shoulders and rear haunches and then removed all the rest of the meat from the carcass and put everything in game bags before loading up the packs.  As I was the one loading the packs and having a good freighter pack, I kinda loaded myself up pretty heavy.  In my cargo bag I loaded a rear haunch and the game bag containing the backstraps, tenderloins, neck roast and all the grinding meat that was taken off the carcass.  Now these are Rocky Mountain Elk but are not quite as big as their mountain state cousins, with the field dressed cows weighing around 250 to 300 and the field dressed bulls weighing in around 400-500 lbs.  I estimated that I had around 75-80 pounds in my pack and I was mighty happy that we only had about a half a mile to go to the road and not a lot of up and down in between.  While we were getting Jake's elk all cut up and packed up, another hunter came by that said he had a cow down "just over the hill" from where Jake's elk was.  We told him we would be back as soon as we got Jake's cow to the check station.  We got back around 3 o'clock and, after checking to make sure Mark didn't have an elk down, we turned around and headed for the other hunter.  He met us along the road and we started in to where his cow was down.  Just a little way from the road we had to work our way around several bull buffalo (bison) which can be quite dangerous if you get too close.  We didn't get to close!

We hiked in working our way around the shoulder of a rocky peak and ended up hiking about a mile with quite a bit of up and down.

We then gutted, skinned and cut up this hunter's cow which was on a pretty good slope.  Again I helped with the gutting and did most of the skinning and quartering.  Having been a elk guide in Idaho and Wyoming, it is just natural for me to jump in and do those things.  It's been a lot of years since that phase in my life and I definitely miss it! 

This time I took it a bit easier on myself and only loaded a rear haunch in my pack.  I think it was around 50 pounds maybe.  It was a pretty good hike out this time.

The "old man" (me) humping elk meat out of the mountains.

Well folks, we got that second cow back to the check station just before sunset.  Mark finally got back after dark having seen very little and nothing to get a shot at.  We would be back the next morning before daylight.

On Wednesday morning Mark went hunting and I, once again, hung out at the check station, drank coffee and watched the hunters come in with their elk.

Just before sunset they called for volunteers to help drag an elk up to the road for a hunter.

Having waited all day for Mark to get an elk down, I was ready to go!  We drove to where the hunter was and waited while he field dressed his cow and then we dragged her up a hill about 25 yards to the road and loaded her in the back of the pickup.

And that's how the second day ended.  Mark showed up well after dark.  He got a shot at a cow but didn't connect.  Half a day of hunting left.

The last morning there were very few hunters going out.  About sixty tags had been filled the first two days and some hunters had given up already.  Mark was the only hunter left in his area.  And I hung around the check station and drank coffee!  Just after daylight I walked over to the meat pole where the hunter from the evening before was skinning and butchering his cow.  Next to him a hunter and his helper were skinning a bull.  They had the hide down around the neck and I asked them what they were going to do with the hide.  They told me they were getting ready to throw it in the dumpster and that I was welcome to it!  I didn't waste ANY time taking them up on that!  I folded it flesh side in and put it in a game bag that I had brought with me and put it in the back of our pickup to take home and brain tan.  I also visited with the guy from the evening before.  I should have taken his cow hide but didn't.  (Stupid me!)  He and his dad cleaned up that carcass pretty dang good.

About 10:30 I got in the pickup with Marcus, the Oklahoma game warden in charge of Mark's area, and rode out to pick Mark up.  He had seen a couple of bulls at around 500 yards but no cows.  His once in a lifetime hunt was over.  He had a really good time even though he didn't get an elk.  He got to hike some beautiful country and we had an enjoyable time and some good Christian fellowship in the evenings with Mike.  I had a GREAT time gutting, skinning and packing out elk and I got that nice big bull hide which I'm currently working on to make a nice brain tanned bull elk robe.

This will be a great addition to my mountaineer's camp once I have it finished.  And I'm seriously considering going down next December just to help pack out some elk, get several elk hides and some elk brains as well.  Tanning a large robe like this is a lot of work but I would like to do several to sell.  I'll keep you posted on that.

Well, that's the story of Mark's Wichita Mountains Elk Hunt.  Anyone can apply and it's a fun hunt to do.  If you draw one of these tags let me know.  I just might meet you there to be your "helper"!

Until next time, keep yer nose in the wind and yer eyes on the skyline!

TC

The Old Mountaineer's Best Christmas

Of all the dang fool greenhorn stunts to pull!  Gettin' lost in a danged snowstorm!  You'd think this was his first winter in the mountains!  The old trapper paused and looked around, trying once more to make out any familiar landmark that might give him a clue as to where he was and where he might find enough shelter to hunker down for the night.
He had set out from his cabin early that sunny winter morning to hunt because he was plumb out of meat and a man's gotta have meat; meat and coffee; the two things the old trapper couldn't do without.  He had shot a mule eared doe in the afternoon but kept going hoping to find buffler. And now here he was, fearsome turned around in a blinding snowstorm with night comin' on pronto.  He looked around again. Nothin' but snow. His saddle horse and pack mule were gettin' mighty tired and they were goin' to need water and forage for the night.
He pushed on, keeping the wind at his back.  He figured his cabin had to be west by south but if he could just blunder in to a creek bed with some cottonwoods and willows he could get a fire going and if there was no creek bottom grass for his animals he could peel some willow bark for them to put in their bellies.  If only...
And now it was plumb dark.  He had two choices.  Either he could stop right here and hunker down under the buffalo robe that he carried on the pack mule and hope he didn't freeze to death before morning, or he could keep pushin'.  He decided to keep pushin' on in the snowy darkness.
He took another look around...and there it was! In the distance, off to the left!  A light shining through the blowing, falling snow!  How could that be?  His old eyes must be playin' tricks on him!  He wiped his coat sleeve across his eyes.  The light was still there, by golly!  "Okay Red" he spoke to his horse, "let's go see if it's for real or if it's Ole Slew Foot playin' tricks on us.  If it ain't for real, we'll probably die out there on the prairie tonight.  Might as well go see, one way or t'other.  Hep!  Let's go boy."
As the old trapper rode farther out on the prairie, the light remained in the same spot, getting brighter the closer he got.  What danged fool besides him would be out here?!
As he rode nearer, the ground started dropping off into a creek bottom and a nice big grove of cottonwood trees and, in the shelter of the trees, a nice big fire.  He breathed a big sigh of relief.  With a fire that big, it had to be white fellers for sure!  But who could be out here on the prairie in the dead of winter?  He rode on, and as he neared the light he yelled out "Helloooo the camp!  Hello the camp!"
The strong voice of a young man answered, "Whoever you are you better come in by the fire and have some hot coffee!  Come on in stranger!"
The old man rode up to the camp and couldn't believe his eyes!  There was a covered wagon with the tongue standing straight up and a lantern hanging from the top of the wagon tongue!  It was that lantern that had caught his eye.  But the rest of the scene was beyond belief for the old mountaineer, for before him was a snug lean to with a nice warm fire before it, and in that lean to was a young woman with a baby in her arms!  They were snug in a couple of wool blankets with a big buffalo robe over all.  The young man was standing by the fire in a big buffalo coat, fur cap and mittens holding a steaming cup of coffee.
"Get down off your horse stranger and get up here to the fire! We've plenty of stew and coffee to share.  And there's a good stand of tall grass here in the creek bottom for your animals.  Come on man!  You look nigh froze!"
The old man climbed stiffly down from Red's back and shuffled up to the fire where he gladly accepted the tin mug of hot coffee.  "What in tarnation are you folks doing out here in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter?  I'm tastin' this hot coffee and I STILL can't believe my eyes!'
The young woman smiled brightly and the young man chuckled.  "My name's Joe Benton and this is my wife, Mary.  And that there in her arms is our new son, just born today!  Haven't even named him yet, but he's a Christmas baby so he'll have a Bible name for sure!"
"He would have a Bible name anyway and you know it Joe!" Mary spoke for the first time.  "And who might you be, stranger who rides in out of the snowy night?" she asked.
"Well ma'am, my name's Clive...Clive Nash.  And all the years I've been out here in these mountains I ain't NEVER seen a purtier sight than that lantern hangin' from the top of that wagon tongue for I was for danged sure lost in the night and now I ain't lost no more!  If this don't beat all I ever seen!  A white woman and a new baby clean out here in the middle of nowhere in a Rocky Mountain blizzard and lookin' like yer a doin' just fine!  Jim Bridger hisself couldn't make up a taller tale than this here! Like I asked ye before; what'r you folks doin' here?"
Joe smiled and began to explain, "Well Mr. Nash we..."
"Clive!" the old trapper said, "Just call me Clive."
"Well Clive" Joe began again, "we were on our way down from Fort Laramie to that new Denver City and..."
"I ain't never heared of that Denver City." the old trapper interupted.  "Where that place be?"
"It's on the South Platte about another 50 or 75 miles  on south from here I reckon" said Joe "and we're headed there to open up a new shop.  I'm a gunsmith by trade and figured they could use my services down there.  We left Fort Laramie about a week ago and were making good time with the weather being so good, until Mary here decided to have the baby earlier than we expected. We had just set up camp in this creek bottom when the young'n decide it was time.  I hung that storm lantern up there on the wagon tongue so we would have plenty of light in camp.  And then the snowstorm hit.  Do they always blow in that fast in this country?"
"Yessir, most times they do fer sure!" said Clive.  "It caught me too!  I was out huntin' meat and ranged farther than I had planned lookin' fer buffler.  I've been out here in these mountains for 30 years and never been lost until tonight.  I come out in '29 with Billy Sublette and been out here ever since.  You folks saved my bacon fer sure!"
It was then that Mary spoke up again. "Mr. Clive, it wasn't me and Joe that 'saved your bacon' as you put it!  It was this baby.  We would have been miles on down toward Denver City if the little guy hadn't decided to come today and we probably would have perished ourselves in this snowstorm if we hadn't found this place and got camp set up before the storm hit.  All in all, I'd say that this baby is not only your savior, but ours as well.  Quite fitting that he came into this world on Christmas day in this year of Our Lord 1859, wouldn't you say so Mr. Clive?"
"Christmas Day!  Well I'll be danged!  I had me no idea that it was Christmas!  Y'see ma'am, I got me a cabin snugged up in them foothills of the mountains off to the west of here and I don't hardly see folks much 'ceptin' the Cheyenne and maybe a few 'Rapahoes now and then. Since beaver quit payin' nigh on twenty year ago now, I mostly trade with the Cheyennes fer buffler robes and then trade the robes fer my coffee and powder and lead and more trade goods to trade fer more buffler robes.  Been tradin' em up t' Laramie fort fer the past dozen years or so.  Down to Bent's mud fort before that.  So, ya see ma'am, I had me no idea it was Christmas!  And it danged sure is a Christmas miracle you folks are here cuz I'da froze ta death somewhere's out there on the prairie this night!"
Joe spoke up then. "Well Clive, you just get your stock taken care of and put with our four mules there in the cotttonwoods and then you get up here next to the fire and refill that coffee cup because we were just getting ready to read the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in the book of Luke in the Bible.  I believe it is quite fitting this night."
"Folks" Clive said, "I don't believe I ever heared that story, but if it's anything near like the story of this here young'n and what he done fer us this night I cain't wait ta hear it!"
"Mr Clive," Mary spoke up with a twinkle in her eyes, "It's a much grander story than you could even imagine!  I cannot wait for you to hear it!"
"Amen Mary!" Joseph said

Merry Christmas and may the true story of the birth of  Our Lord and Savior touch your heart and brighten your lodge this season.

God Bless,

Max and Family

In the Turkey Creek Valley in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Seventeen